Slang Terms You’ll Hear in 2019, and What They Mean

Anthony Acosta is a Staff Member at Entravision Communications in McAllen, Texas

Someone put together a huge list of slang terms you might hear in 2019. They’re not all new, but here are ten you might not know yet . . .

“Tea.” Either spelled T-E-A, or just the letter T. It means “gossip.” So if you “spill tea” about someone, you’re talking behind their back.

“Beat.” It can be a verb or an adjective, and it’s about applying make-up. You might hear someone say, “I’ve gotta beat my face, because I’ve got a date tonight.”

“Snatched.” It means you look good. So if you “beat your face” and you show up to an event looking fabulous, you’re “snatched.”

“Basic.” That one’s been around a while, so you’ve probably heard it. Basically, anything mainstream is basic. Pumpkin spice lattes, a tattoo of a Chinese character, and having dinner at the Cheesecake Factory could all be described as “basic.”

“G.O.A.T.” It’s an acronym that stands for “greatest of all time.” So if one of your younger co-workers says, “you’re the goat,” they’re giving you a compliment.

“Extra.” It means over-the-top. But not necessarily in a good way. Like if someone accidentally bumps into you on the street and you key their car . . . the way you reacted was so “extra.”

“Gucci.” It basically just means good. So if you like something, “it’s Gucci.”

“Thirsty.” It means you desperately want approval, or desperately want to get with someone in an R-rated way.

“Keep it 100.” It means you’re authentic, like “keep it real.”

“Ratchet.” It’s normally used to describe someone who’s obnoxious, rude, or trashy. But it can also mean you’re “cool” now, in the right context.

(You can check out the definitions of 20 more slang terms like “woke,” “kiki,” “read,” “realness,” and “yas” here.)